ARSENAL v WEST HAM UNITED
BARCLAYS PREMIER LEAGUE
SATURDAY 30 OCTOBER 2010
KICK-OFF: 3PM
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Introduction
• West Ham United make the eight-mile journey to the Emirates aiming to extend their recent encouraging run to one defeat in eight matches in all competitions.
• The Hammers have lost just one of their previous five Barclays Premier League matches, going down 2-1 at home to Newcastle United on Saturday 23 October. That defeat was followed by a 3-1 extra-time Carling Cup fourth-round win over Stoke City at the Boleyn Ground on Wednesday evening.
• Arsenal have won their last four matches in all competitions, scoring 14 goals in the process. The Gunners scored an impressive 3-0 Premier League victory at Manchester City last Sunday 24 October before defeating Newcastle 4-0 at St James' Park in the Carling Cup on Wednesday.
• Arsenal have won five of their six home matches in all competitions this season, scoring 25 goals in the process. West Bromwich Albion are the only away side to win at the Emirates this term, scoring a 3-2 Premier League success on 25 September.
• West Ham will be seeking to end a seven-match winless run against the Gunners stretching back to 7 April 2007, when Bobby Zamora's goal secured a 1-0 victory in north London. The Hammers did the double over Arsenal in 2006/07, with Marlon Harewood bagging the winner in the reverse Premier League fixture at the Boleyn Ground on 5 November 2006.
• The two sides met three times last season. A 2-2 Premier League draw at the Boleyn Ground was followed by a 2-1 FA Cup third-round win for Arsenal at the same venue. The Gunners also won 2-0 at the Emirates in the reverse Premier League fixture in March.
• The best Hammers awayday at Arsenal came on 14 November 1964 with a 3-0 victory. Geoff Hurst, Johnny Byrne and Martin Peters all scored without reply for a West Ham team without the injured Bobby Moore.
• West Ham's heaviest defeat at Arsenal was a 6-1 reverse exactly 34 years ago on 20 March 1976. Brian Kidd scored the final three goals for the Gunners, with Alan Ball getting two, against a Hammers team boasting Frank Lampard, Billy Bonds and Trevor Brooking. Arsenal finished 17th that season on 36 points, ahead of West Ham in 18th only on goal difference.
West Ham United
• Manager Avram Grant is without Thomas Hitzlsperger (thigh), Zavon Hines (knee) and Jack Collison (knee). The latter two are entering the final stages of their rehabilitation and are hoping to return around the turn of the year, Hitzlsperger has a February comeback date having had surgery on his torn muscle.
• Robert Green, Scott Parker and Mark Noble will all hope to maintain their ever-present records this season in the Barclays Premier League. Green is on a run of 135 consecutive league starts for the club and will make his 150th league appearance for West Ham should he appear at the Emirates.
• Matthew Upson will not return to the starting lineup after missing the midweek Carling Cup win over Stoke City as a precaution after suffering a minor hamstring injury in last weekend's defeat by Newcastle United.
• Lars Jacobsen is available again after missing the midweek victory over Stoke due to being cup-tied. It remains to be seen if striker Freddie Piquionne can return from his own knock last weekend.
Arsenal
• Arsenal will be without forward Robin van Persie, who has been out since suffering a foot injury playing against Blackburn Rovers in August.
• Centre-back Thomas Vermaelen is out with an achilles problem he suffered while on international duty with Belgium in August.
• Midfielder Aaron Ramsey is sidelined with a broken leg suffered in a tackle with Stoke City defender Ryan Shawcross in February.
• Young midfielder Emmanuel Frimpong is out for the remainder of the season after undergoing anterior cruciate ligament surgery.
• Left-back Kieran Gibbs could be out after suffering a knee injury in Wednesday's Carling Cup success at Newcastle United.
Last time out
West Ham United
• West Ham United returned to winning ways, defeating Stoke City 3-1 after extra time to reach the Carling Cup quarter-finals. Kenwyne Jones headed Stoke into a sixth-minute lead before Scott Parker equalised six minutes from full-time. Substitute Mark Noble provided the assists for Manuel da Costa and Victor Obinna to settle matters during the additional 30 minutes.
27 October 2010
Carling Cup fourth round
West Ham United 3-1 Stoke City
West Ham: Stech, Faubert, Da Costa, Tomkins, Ben Haim, Barrera, Kovac (Obinna 64), Parker, Boa Morte (Behrami 72), Cole, McCarthy (Noble 72)
Subs not used: Green, Reid, Ilunga, Nouble
Goals: Parker 84, Da Costa 96, Obinna 118
Arsenal
• Arsenal swept aside Newcastle United 4-0 at St James' Park on Wednesday to take their place in the last eight of the Carling Cup. Magpies goalkeeper Tim Krul deflected in an unfortunate own-goal before Theo Walcott added a controversial second. Nicklas Bendtner scored a third before Walcott completed the scoring with his second of the evening.
27 October 2010
Carling Cup fourth round
Newcastle United 0-4 Arsenal
Arsenal: Szczesny, Koscielny, Djourou, Eboue, Gibbs (Sagna 19), Eastmond, Rosicky. Walcott, Denilson, Vela (Fabregas 70), Bendtner (Emmanuel-Thomas 84)
Subs not used: Fabianski, Nordtveit, Arshavin, Lansbury
Goals: Krul 45 (og), Walcott 53, 88, Bendtner 83
Last meeting
West Ham United were defeated 2-0 by Arsenal in the clubs' most recent Barclays Premier League meeting at the Emirates on 20 March 2010. Denilson stroked Arsenal into a fifth-minute lead before Thomas Vermaelen was sent-off in added time at the end of the first half for a professional foul on Guillermo Franco. Alessandro Diamanti saw the resulting penalty saved before Cesc Fabregas made sure of the Gunners' success with a spot-kick of his own seven minutes from full-time.
Arsenal: Almunia, Vermaelen, Clichy, Eboue, Campbell, Fabregas, Nasri (Sagna 74), Denilson, Song, Arshavin (Eduardo 84), Bendtner (Diaby 58)
Subs not used: Fabianski, Silvestre, Rosicky, Walcott
West Ham United: Green, Upson, Spector, Tomkins, Daprela, Kovac (Noble 70), Behrami, Diamanti, Stanislas, Franco (Cole 57), Mido (McCarthy 75)
Subs not used: Stech, Ilunga, Spence, Ilan
Head to head
• Last six meetings (Premier League unless stated):
20 March 2010 Arsenal 2-0 West Ham United
3 January 2010 West Ham United 1-2 Arsenal (FA Cup third round)
25 October 2009 West Ham United 2-2 Arsenal
31 January 2009 Arsenal 0-0 West Ham United
26 October 2008 West Ham United 0-2 Arsenal
1 January 2008 Arsenal 2-0 West Ham United
Overall record v Arsenal (all competitions) W 33 D 38 L 52
Ten-year league records
West Ham United
2009/10 Premier League 17th (35 points)
2008/09 Premier League 9th (51 points)
2007/08 Premier League 10th (49 points)
2006/07 Premier League 15th (41 points)
2005/06 Premier League 9th (55 points)
2004/05 Championship 6th (73 points - promoted to Premier League via play-offs)
2003/04 Championship 4th (74 points)
2002/03 Premier League 18th (42 points - relegated to Championship)
2001/02 Premier League 7th (53 points)
2000/01 Premier League 15th (42 points)
Arsenal
2009/10 Premier League 3rd (75 points)
2008/09 Premier League 4th (72 points)
2007/08 Premier League 3rd (83 points)
2006/07 Premier League 4th (68 points)
2005/06 Premier League 4th (67 points)
2004/05 Premier League 2nd (83 points)
2003/04 Premier League 1st (90 points)
2002/03 Premier League 2nd (78 points)
2001/02 Premier League 1st (87 points)
2000/01 Premier League 2nd (70 points)
Background
West Ham United
• Scott Parker is West Ham's leading scorer this season with four goals - the No8 has scored twice each in the Barclays Premier League and the Carling Cup. Frederic Piquionne and Mark Noble have also netted twice in the Premier League, with the Frenchman adding a third goal in the Carling Cup third-round win at Sunderland.
• Danny Gabbidon's yellow card against Fulham on 2 October was the quickest caution given to a top-flight player this season. It came after just one minute and 25 seconds.
• It is ten matches since the Hammers scored more than once in a Barclays Premier League contest - the longest run in the top-flight.
Arsenal
• Samir Nasri is Arsenal's leading scorer in all competitions this season with seven goals - four of which have come in the Barclays Premier League. Theo Walcott has also netted four league goals and six overall. Marouane Chamakh has netted three league goals and six overall.
• Arsenal are the Premier League's second-highest scorers with 21 goals in nine matches. Chelsea are the only side to have hit the net more often, scoring 25 times.
• Andrey Arshavin is the only Arsenal player to have started all nine Premier League matches this season. Chamakh has started eight and appeared as a substitute the other.
Referee
• Saturday's referee is Mike Jones, who last took charge of West Ham United for the 1-0 home Barclays Premier League victory over Sunderland on 10 April 2010.
• Jones started refereeing at 15, and is now in his 17th season on the National List, four as an assistant and thirteen as a referee. 2009/10 is his second season as a Select Group referee.
• He was appointed to referee the 2009 FA Trophy final between Stevenage Borough and York City and to referee the 2007 League Two Play-Off final between Bristol Rovers and Shrewsbury Town, both at Wembley.
• He was the fourth official for the 2004 Carling Cup final between Middlesbrough and Bolton Wanderers and was also the man in the middle for the 1997 Conference League Cup final and the 2005 Women's FA Cup final.
• Jones has yet to referee the Hammers this season, but he did take charge of Arsenal's 6-0 home Premier League victory over Blackpool on 21 August.
Old boys
• Matthew Upson joined Arsenal from Luton Town for £2m in May 1997 at the age of 18. Upson made a total of 56 appearances for the Gunners over five-and-a-half seasons before moving to Birmingham City for £1m in January 2003
• Luis Boa Morte was brought to English football from Sporting Clube de Portugal in 1997 in a £1.75m deal, making 25 appearances for Arsenal before leaving for Southampton for an initial fee of £500,000 in August 1999.
• Among the players who have represented both clubs are Jeremie Aliadiere, James Bigden, Jimmy Bloomfield, Liam Brady, Dick Curtis, George Burgess, Kaba Diawara, Ted Drake, Stan Earle, Bert Fletcher, Ron Greenwood, Eddie Hapgood, John Hartson, Les Henley, Fergie Hunt, James Jackson, Bernard Joy, Fred Kemp, Tom Lee, Harry Lewis, William Linwood, Fredrik Ljungberg, Roddy MacEachrane, Jimmy Marshall, David Noble, John Radford, Stewart Robson, Charles Satterthwaite, Laurie Scott, Rami Shaaban, Bill Sidley, Bob Stevenson, Davor Suker, Charlie Walker, Nigel Winterburn, Ian Wright and Richard Wright.
Next up
• Avram Grant's side travel to St Andrew's Stadium to face Birmingham City in the Barclays Premier League on Saturday 6 November, kick-off 3pm.
• Arsenal travel to Ukraine to take on Shakhtar Donetsk in the UEFA Champions League group stage on Wednesday 3 November, kick-off 7.45pm UK time.
Travel information
• For directions to the Emirates, click here.
General information
• All standard tickets for Saturday's game have SOLD OUT.
• The weather forecast for Saturday in north London is for a sunny day with a maximum daytime temperature of 15C (59F).